Maximize Movement







About the Author Michelle Miller is a Product Development Specialist at Great Kids. Prior to joining the Product Development team, Michell worked for three years as a Great Kids trainer. Before that, she worked as a trainer supervisor and home visitor with a Healthy Families program in Middle Tennessee. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her three children and doing anything outdoors, especially kayaking.

---

“And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance…” -from the song “I Hope You Dance” by LeeAnn Womack

A Love for Music and Dance

Like many of you, I’m a big fan of music and dancing. Unfortunately for me, however, I am not the most coordinated dancer. Still, that doesn’t stop me from doing it — especially in my living room or kitchen when no one is around.

I also love to watch other people dance. I sometimes enjoy scrolling through the latest video dance trends on certain social media sites. One trend I enjoyed this year featured men and women of my generation showing off their 80s dance moves to Small Town Boy by Bronski’s Beat.

What I like about these videos is that they lack choreography. There are no specific steps or moves to learn. One person commented, “We were just massaging our auras back then,” which I found hilarious and on target. In other words, most of these videos feature people seemingly moving to music just for the joy of movement.

Watching these videos, I’ve also felt joyful and admittedly inspired to move. Through this experience, I started thinking about how this trend of short dance videos that became so popular during the stress and trauma of the pandemic still seem to be going strong. That is, I started to wonder if there could be some science or reasoning behind the fun and silliness of it all. And it seems there is.

The Healing Power of Dance

According to research, rhythmic and body-oriented movement interventions, such as DANCING, can be a great way to support recovery and healing, especially for individuals impacted by trauma.^{2,5, 6, 7,8}  In the moment, it can also boost our mood, releasing endorphins, which are our “feel good” hormones.²

Researchers also suggest that dance may be especially helpful in reducing stress as varying our movements, or “increasing our movement vocabulary,” can support our bodies and minds to be more flexible and resilient.³

And while dancing may not be your thing, finding ways to move our bodies is important for all of us as stress and trauma are common in our modern world, harming us in ways we may not even be fully aware of. ⁵

Transforming Stress into Strength Using Movement

As busy people, we often think or need to think that we are managing things just fine. However, stress and trauma that we don’t acknowledge or deal with in some way can impact our moods, behaviors, and relationships.^{5, 7, 8}  Additionally, stress and trauma can result in our experiencing health symptoms such as frequent stomach upset, headaches, brain fog, muscle tension, and sleep difficulties.⁵  In fact, many of the leading causes of premature death are the result of stress and trauma-related illnesses and conditions.¹

While many of us often engage in more passive ways to “relax,” like watching TV, playing video games, or scrolling through dance videos, we ALL need movement to support our optimal physical and mental health. And. If you’re not into dancing, there are many other easy movement activities you might try.

For example:

• Doing a regular series of stretches or yoga,^{1, 2}
• Practicing mindful breathing techniques,¹
• Singing aloud while tapping your feet or clapping your hands to the beat ⁴
• Going for a short walk, or¹
• Spending time in nature, which has its own resilience-building rhythms.^1,6

References:

1. ACE Resource Network. (n.d.). Heal myself. https://numberstory.org/heal-myself/heal-myself-active/#mentalhealth
2. Aces Resource Network (n.d.) Heal myself: Dance to your favorite song. https://numberstory.org/heal-myself/heal-myself-active/dance-to-your-favorite-song/
3. Hornthal, E.  (2023, June 9). Cultivating resilience through movement. Trauma Research Foundation. https://traumaresearchfoundation.org/cultivating-resilience-through-movement/#:~:text=The%20more%20movement%20you%20have,we%20increase%20our%20emotional%20resilience
4. Landis-Shack N, Heinz AJ, Bonn-Miller MO. Music Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress in Adults: A Theoretical Review. Psychomusicology. 2017;27(4):334-342. doi: 10.1037/pmu0000192. PMID: 29290641; PMCID: PMC5744879.
5. Mayo Clinic. (2023, April 10). Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987
6. Perry, B. D., & Winfrey, O. (2021). What happened to you?: Conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing. Flatiron Books.
7. Serlin I. A. (2020). Dance/Movement therapy: A whole person approach to working with trauma and building resilience. American journal of dance therapy, 42(2), 176–193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-020-09335-6
8. van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.